Any game that finishes with silverware placed in the cabinet has to be a good day. Nobody could say Tigers did not earn the trophy. Coming through tough qualification which included a red-hot derby with Northampton, they then beat Saracens in the semi-final at Allianz Park before edging out Exeter in south-west London.

Tom Brady’s interception try in the first half proved decisive but Leicester had to hold on with some tenacious defending late in the piece, Harry Thacker in particular showing the way with a string of tackles.

Derby games are emotional affairs and this one was heightened as Aaron Mauger said his farewell to the Leicester fans. He could not have gone with a better result to tuck under his belt, either, as Tigers downed their own rivals in a pulsating East Midlands clash. Tigers had to come from behind on three occasions before they banked the points.

Adam Thompstone, Lachlan McCaffrey and Ben Youngs all crossed for tries before two late penalties from Owen Williams sealed a memorable afternoon.

The disappointment of defeats in their first two games of the new season began to dissipate as Tigers picked up their first away victory of the campaign in a hard-fought encounter at the Twickenham Stoop.

Again, it was a match in which the lead changed hands on numerous occasion before George Ford’s accuracy secured the points. Telusa Veainu scored in the first 40 minutes for Tigers and Jonny May continued his try-scoring form.

But it was Greg Bateman’s try with a sharp finish from just inside the Quins’ 22 which provided the game’s real highlight.

Leicester had struggled badly home and away against Exeter in the previous season and this was an early-season opportunity to show progress was being made under new head coach Matt O’Connor. Tigers didn’t disappoint, either, in a real arm-wrestle.

Their tries came from either wing as Nick Malouf showed what an astute signing he is, while Jonny May’s second-half-finish was his fifth try in as many Tigers games. The only disappointment was that the Chiefs snatched a late bonus point.

Tigers, for the first time this season, really bared their claws as they demolished Castres at Welford Road. Grabbing a bonus point the previous week in a narrow defeat at Racing was encouraging, but Tigers needed a win to get their European campaign truly off and running. They delivered superbly and Telusa Veainu ran in a hat-trick of tries in the rout. Jonny May helped himself to a couple, Ben Youngs and Nick Malouf joining in the romp.

It was to prove something of a false dawn, however, as Tigers failed to recapture that cutting edge in back-to-back losses against Munster.